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Deal With Rebellion Constructively Because of sin, all of us rebel against authorities and God.  As parents quickly discover, children are no exception.  These little "angels" assert independence by rebelling against rules from a young age.  But the Bible instructs parents to discipline children out of love, molding them into Christians who stive to obey God and respect other people.  Use these strategies for dealing with rebellion as children grow: Birth to 2 years: Accept that God gives even newborns the ability to display unique temperaments.  Provide lots of comfort and warmth. 3 to 4 years: Listen carefully and respond to children's physical and emotional needs.  Explore what upsets them.  Model Christ's love by giving kids affection. 5 to 7 years: Offer choices and clear consequences for disobedience.  Balance your demands with warmth and reason. 8 to 12 years: Consistently enforce rules.  Let children know you trust them, and praise them for a job well done.  Evaluate tough situations and ask what kids can do differently next time. _________________________________________________________________ INSIGHTS In a survey of 2,000 parents with children ages 2 to 11, 38% said they use the same discipline method as their own parents did. Parents report using the following discipline methods frequently: time-outs (42%), removal of privileges (41%), sending to bedroom (27%), yelling (13%), and spanking (9%). One-third of parents believe their discipline approach is ineffective. TEACHABLE MOMENTS 1. When You Were My Age - Share with children some of the rules you had to follow while growing up, whether they're different from or similiar to your current household rules.  Then discuss some way rules are good for us, even when we don't like to follow them. 2. God's Grace - While discussing people in the Bible who made bad choices and faced consequences, be sure to emphasize God's grace, as well.  For example, King David suffered greatly after sinning, but he sought-and received- God's forgiveness. 3. Commandments 2.0 - Work together to reword each of God's Ten Commandments as a loving guideline from a loving God.  For example, you may write, "Because I want you to be protected from religions that would mislead you, don't have any other gods except me.".  Media Madness    Movie: We Bought a Zoo Genre: Comedy, Drama Rating: PG (for language and some thematic elements) Cast: Matt Damon, Elle Fanning Synopsis: After his wife dies, a father moves his family to a new home that comes with a struggling private zoo.  The ensuing adventures help the family pull together and heal. Our Take: Use this film, based on a real story, as a launching pont to discuss challanges you've face and overcome as a family. Artist: Rachel Chan Album: Go Artist Info: Rachel is the 15-year-old daughter of preacher and author Francis Chan. Summary: Rachel's debut album addresses common struggles, such as disobeying parents.  The song "Prove It" puts a "funny twist on what a godly relationship between father and daughter should look like," she says. Our Take: Rachel's talent and boldness about her faith make her a positive influence on preteen music fans.